The ACC and Big Ten continued to distance themselves from the pack this weekend after big wins. Penn State, Johns Hopkins, and Michigan each knocked off Top 20 teams to continue to strengthen the conference’s non-conference record. Michigan responded to a 9-4 deficit with a 9-0 run to knock off Delaware.
Virginia and Notre Dame helped the ACC earn two key non-conference wins. Virginia continued its dominance over the college lacrosse landscape with its 25-8 victory over Richmond. This is the second time this season that the Cavaliers have scored 25 goals in a game this season and the second straight week they held their opponent under ten goals.
Three of the four biggest games this weekend involved Big Ten teams. Let’s get you caught up on the three biggest headlines this week.
Grab your stick, it’s time to hit the wall!
Hoyas Change Their Way to Victory
Georgetown was too talented to start its season 0-3. They looked out of sorts and in a funk since the season started. Coach Kevin Warne and his staff made some changes this week to see if some new combinations would help provide a jolt to the Hoyas. Brian Minicus moved from attack to midfield, Graham Bundy Jr. moved from midfield to attack, and Michael Scharfenberger earned his first start in goal.
Minicus responded by having his best game of the season leading the Hoyas with three goals and two assists. Scharfenberger earned his fourth career win making 15 saves, and picked up his first win this season. Georgetown led Princeton 7-6 at halftime and used a 5-0 run in the third quarter to help put the Tigers away. Georgetown welcomes Richmond next week.
The troubles continue for Princeton. The Tigers dropped their second straight game at the Class of 1952 stadium. Coulter Mackesy led Princeton with five goals and three assists on Saturday. Princeton will look to reverse its fortunes next week when they travel to Rutgers next Saturday.
Luck of the Irish in OT
The game of the weekend was in College Park, Maryland. A heavyweight bout that saw No.3 Notre Dame outlast Maryland in triple overtime to earn a 13-12 win against the Terps.
Senior Pat Kavanagh scored with a little over two minutes remaining to keep the Irish in the unbeaten ranks. Kevin Corrigan made the call of the game when he inserted Jake Taylor into the lineup following a timeout. Taylor has been out all season recovering from an ACL injury. Taylor set the pick to give Kavanagh the necessary space to get his hand free for the winning shot.
Both teams’ depth was on display with 14 different players scoring at least one goal in the game. Irish attackman Chris Kavanagh (3G) scored the game-tying goal late in the fourth to send the game into extra frames. Owen Murphy (3G, 1A) and Daniel Maltz (2G, 2A) led the Terps with four points.
The game highlights the strength of the B1G and ACC this year. These two teams look ready to meet again on Memorial Day weekend. Maryland hosts Albany next Saturday and Notre Dame will welcome Ohio State to Arlotta.
Two B1G Wins
Who has the bigger win in the B1G on Saturday? Johns Hopkins or Penn State? While answers will probably fall along lines of rooting interest, both wins will serve the conference well with the selection committee in May.
Hopkins welcomed Saint Joseph’s in an afternoon tilt at Homewood. On paper, it seemed like Hopkins was going to have its hands full with a strong faceoff and attack unit for the Hawks. The Jays brought the fight to SJU throughout the game. They weathered a 7-3 run by Saint Joseph’s in the fourth quarter to hold on for the 15-14 win.
This was a hard-hitting game and one that may help the Jays be in consideration for an at-large bid if they do not earn the Big Ten’s AQ. Garret Degnon led the Jays with four goals and one assist. He had a number of key pressures on the ride that also led to extra opportunities for the Jays. Hopkins will be the hunter once again Tuesday night as they welcome Virginia to Homewood before traveling to Syracuse next Friday.
Penn State was a 4.5-goal underdog heading into its matchup with interstate rival Penn on Saturday. It was a one-goal game for most of the first three quarters. The Nittany Lions though dropped the hammer in the final frame outsourcing the Quakers 6-0 to defeat their second Ivy League team in two weeks. The win was head coach Jeff Tambroni’s 100th career victory at Penn State. Three times in the 4th quarter Penn State FOGO won the faceoff after a goal and his Penn State teammates capitalized with another goal. Kevin Winkoff led Penn State with five goals. The Nittany Lions travel to Ithaca to go for the Ivy League sweet next Saturday.
